Eleven Days

Eleven days since my last post, yet it feels like I've lived eleven months worth of stuff in that time.

(Actually, it's now 14 days since my last post.  I started this one three days ago and then something else *hit the fan* so to speak.)  So it's a little inaccurate now.  Whatever.

*Deep, deep sigh*

Today all the kids are finally back to school and the flu has hopefully left our house for good.  

We had an ice storm, and then last night we had a thunderstorm.  In January. Weird.  It's like the weather is matching all the other crazy stuff going on.

(No worries though, because we also had a snow storm and school was cancelled three days this week...that's just part of the update for you.  Confused yet?  I am.)

Our tiny little church was a part of two funerals in the past two weeks.  

And some things you think would never happen.  Happen.

And you pray.  And pray and pray and pray some more.

Because life sometimes...well, it's terribly messy.  And hard.  And sometimes walking with people through their hard stuff brings a unique kind of pain.  

And sometimes you just want to blame it on the terrible month of January, and let yourself believe that if you can just make it to February 1st, it will be better.

Because maybe it will.  

A few weeks ago, I came across this verse from our Bible Study and although I'd heard it before, I heard it that time in a new way.

John 16:33

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Jesus sets the bar at trouble.  "You will have trouble"  Period.  It's like He said to me, expect it.  Don't be shocked, and certainly stop trying to live life in ways to avoid the trouble.  Life is trouble.  But Jesus has told me the things I need to know and hear, so that I can have peace.  And then He gives a big, fat, fresh dose of perspective by reminding me that these current troubles, are just itty bitty in the scheme of things.  

Big picture:  He has overcome the world.

The world, and all the crap that it has to offer and throw at me...I can deal with because of Jesus.  

He has won already.  

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Not Fun Stuff

Jake has the flu.  As in the doctor swabbed his nose and it's officially influenza b.  Bleh.  My heart hurts just looking at him...and I can't help thinking about the parents who have to watch their children suffer for much longer than the life of a flu virus.  Perspective.

Lucy and I, because we spent the most time around him, are on tamiflu in hopes of avoiding it.  We'll see if that works...

I was supposed to get my hair cut this morning.  I had actual tears when I called the salon to try to reschedule.  That's the bad thing about having such a great stylist...I'm on the cancellation list, but the soonest I could schedule an actual appointment is March 29th.  

This is what my hair will look like by March 29th:

Thank you Google Images for this lovely photo.

I'm pretty sure I won't be wearing spandex pants by then though.

Pretty sure.

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Keeping it Real

Let's be honest...

People are crazy.  All of us: Crazy.

There's this Pinterest quote I saw...

Love....or friendship, requires a mutual weirdness.  It's funny.  And true.  I'm pretty sure that I will spend my whole life still learning about people and relationships.  They're complicated, and wonderful and sometimes terribly frustrating.  

I'm convinced that God uses the frustrating relationships in my life to refine me, and change me.  I'm also convinced He uses them to help me value and appreciate those whose weirdness is compatible with mine.  

As I look at my inner-circle of people, I can't help but smile at their weirdness.  All unique.  All crazy.  And completely different.  

I read an article awhile back about relationships, and it said something to the affect that we become a lot like the combination of the five people we spend the most time with.  It went on to talk about Jesus, and His ministry to the masses as well as how he interacted with the few that were in His inner-circle.  And it got me thinking.  Who are my 5?  Who's 5 am I in?  And how are they affecting me and me affecting them?  

Do I leave those in the inner better than I found them?  Do I rub off on them positively or negatively?  How do my mannerisms, thoughts, words, beliefs, actions change them?  Are they better for having been in my presence?  

Or...

Do I leave them feeling discouraged?  Annoyed?  Frustrated?  Do I complain too much and listen too little?  Is our relationship about my agenda, my needs, my everything?  

Tough questions...but crucial.  Sometimes tough questions require tough answers, and tough answers mean even harder changes.  

Philippians 4:8

New International Version 1984 (NIV1984)

⁸ Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I want my mouth and my life to match when it comes to this verse.  I want to think and speak on those things FAR more than I vent and complain about their opposites.  And that is hard.  

But I didn't make it up.  God did.  And it sounds lovely.

Source: etsy.com via Olivia on Pinterest

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A "Present"

Yesterday Lucy was upstairs by herself (which is never a good idea) so I called up to see what she was doing.

She ran out of her brother's bedroom (again, never good) and proclaimed "I'm making you a present!"  

How sweet, I thought.  

"Lucy, can you come downstairs and make my present?" I asked, in a weak attempt to get her downstairs.

She smiled sweetly and exclaimed "Yes!"  

I was surprised at her eagerness because usually I have to go up and chase her down.  As she reached the bottom of the stairs, I could smell her stinky diaper.  I said, "Lucy you're stinky!" and she smiled...

and pointed to her bottom and said "A present for you!"  

Nice.

It's my own fault.  Every time Ben is home, and I smell a dirty diaper (because I always smell it first)  I say to him, "Lucy has a present for you!"  My snarky wit has caught up with me.

I probably deserved that present.

And I should probably make myself start potty training her.  Dude, I hate potty training.

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Couple Things

Thanks to Jackie, who did my last blog layout, I now have a button.  My very own button...just like everyone else in blogland.  I'll never be cutting edge, but at least I'm sorta caught-up instead of left behind.

You can get the code on the right sidebar

So.  If you would like to post the cute little button on your blog, I'd more than love it.  And, if you are already cool and have a button, please let me know so I can post it on mine...because it's all the rage.  Or so I've heard.

She also tweaked my header for me, and it makes me happy.  Feel free to let it make you happy to.

One last thing.  The other day I tried to comment on my own blog and I realized HOW COMPLETELY ANNOYING those little pop-up boxes are that make you type in the squirrel-y letters.  I tried half a dozen times and still couldn't get it right...which then made me smash my computer (only in my head, of course.)

In an effort to reduce your stress, and mine, I deleted the need for that dumb box...only to find out it does serve a purpose in blocking spammy annoying comments.  Which finally leads me to my point:  I enabled comment moderation.  Which means none of the comments post until I allow them to.  I've never had that enabled on my blog before and I just wanted to give you a heads up so that you didn't try posting a comment only to find that it didn't appear, and so you post it again, and nothing, until you finally realized it was moderated.  

I *may* have learned that from experience.  

Happy Friday to you!

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Love

So far in 2013 we have two family members getting married...well one is in January 2014, but within the next year...that's how I do math.  A nephew and a first cousin (who is more like a niece because I'm that much older.)  I love weddings.  So fun.

And back in November we went to a lovely wedding that I mentioned here.  In that post I linked to one of the songs that I fell in love with.  Turns out, I'm also in love with the other song the bride had in her wedding.  

In love with love songs, that's me.

So, for your enjoyment, I give you Hundred More Years.  Makes me cry every.single.time I listen to it.

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Currently

Currently...


Listening:  To Cinderella...Lucy's watching it in the other room.

Eating:  Nutella.  Lots and lots of Nutella.

Drinking:  Black Coffee.  

Wearing:  The shirt I wore yesterday, slept in, and still currently have on.  Someone needs to shower yet.  Someone also has to get out of the habit of sleeping in their clothes.  

Feeling:  Peaceful.  In the last several months, with some Holy Spirit nudging, I re-evaluated my things, relationships, habits, thoughts, emotions, and made some changes.  At the time,it was less than pleasant but I'm beginning to see why God caused the shake-up...things were out of whack and now it is much, much better.  Whoever said 'No Pain No Gain' was totally right.

Weather:  This week has been warm.  Because 35 in January in Iowa is warm.

Wanting:  Spring to come quickly.

Needing:  To keep my eyes on Jesus.

Thinking:  I should get in the shower...

Enjoying:  Hanging out everyday with my Lucy.  She's a hoot.

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